Born To Run
by Abstracted
Summary: A deal is struck. The Shogunate enlists Mugen and Jin to fight a formidable enemy in exchange for their freedoms and for Fuu's life. Fuugen and some Jino. About a year after the end of series. A dash of the supernatural, a ounce of angst, a dab of romance and a whole lot of sword fights and blood-soaked drama. Rating is T (violence and language), but M for a handful of chapters.
1. One

_**Born to Run**_

Summary: A deal is struck. The Shogunate enlists Mugen and Jin to fight a formidable enemy in exchange for their freedoms and for Fuu's life. Fuugen and some Jino. About a year after the end of series. A dash of the supernatural, a ounce of angst, a sprinkle of political intrigue, a dab of romance and a whole lot of swordfights and blood-soaked drama.

The story is named after Bruce Springsteen's _Born to Run_.

_Let me in I wanna be your friend  
>I want to guard your dreams and visions<br>Just wrap your legs 'round these velvet rims  
>And strap your hands 'cross my engines<br>Together we could break this trap  
>- Born To Run<em>

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><p><em><strong>One<strong>_

_One year_. One long and uneventful year since they parted ways on that sunny afternoon.

Fuu blew bubbles into the cup of tea she was sipping. Her legs ached from a busy of waitressing and all she wanted was to curl up into a ball and sleep forever. Normally she had the morning shift, but Shu-san had become heavily pregnant and Fuu was forced to fill in until her boss could get a new waitress for nights. It hadn't mattered to her; it wasn't like she had much to do at night either, sad as it was.

_One year—300 and something days—_yet not one of them had sought to visit her or check up on her. She wondered if they even missed her at all like she missed them.

It was true they didn't _know_ where she was, but if they were able to find a man who didn't want to be found on her threadbare clue of a nonexistent scent, then they could definitely find her.

_If_ they had wanted to.

Fuu shut her eyes and built the picture of the two men in her mind—one reserved and blue and the other wild and red. One lacking expression and the other scowling. They came into her life like a whirlwind of opposites. And burned everything down.

Eventually, she knew she had to come to term with the fact that they probably didn't _want_ to find her. After all, their travels with her left them more than half dead, and who wanted to see the object of all their troubles again so soon?

"Fuu-chan, customer!" her boss shouted at her. Fuu snapped out of her day dream and jumped up her seat to welcome their late night customer.

"Fuu-chan," the customer greeted warmly.

"Akemi-chan!" Fuu exclaimed happily, forgetting her previous fatigue, "Are you done with work already?"

"Yup," Akemi answered brightly, "I'm here to see you!"

Gukuro, Fuu's boss, glared at the two girls disapprovingly, but said nothing to stop Fuu from sitting down across from her friend. The place was empty anyways.

Akemi and Fuu had become friends almost instantly when they met a little under a year ago. Fuu was drawn to Akemi's bright personality and forthrightness. It was a nice change after having sour male companionship for most of the previous year. She had forgotten how sweet and soft and fun the company of other girls was. Akemi was cute and pretty and popular among men with her elegant features and silky black hair. She had reminded Fuu of someone she knew, but Fuu couldn't quite figure out who it was. She had met so many people and seen so many faces in her travels that they all blurred together into a convoluted mess in her mind. Even then, something about Akemi stood out to her.

"Seen your samurai bodyguards lately?" Akemi asked, a little playfully. When Fuu first arrived in town, she could not stop talking about the samurai and the vagrant swordsman who protected her on her journey to find her father. Akemi and the other girls had taken up to teasing Fuu, some playfully and others less playfully, about her tall and mysterious bodyguards.

Fuu pouted. "They probably forgot about me those stupid jerks," she complained, "And only Jin is the samurai. Mugen is…well…Mugen."

Akemi giggles. "Oh yes, the handsome vagrant pirate."

Fuu blushed furiously. "I never said he was handsome!" she said hotly, "Where did you get that idea? Mugen is a perverted piggish jerk. Nothing handsome about that stupid vagrant!"

Akemi laughed. "Oh Fuu-chan, you're so fun to tease," she said, "But I'm sure they haven't forgotten about you. And if you see them again I want to be the first to know."

"Jin maybe," Fuu murmured, "I don't want to subject you to Mugen."

"I want to meet Mugen the most," Akemi said with a dreamy smile, "All handsome pirate vagrant of him."

"Ew Akemi-chan, don't make him out to some romantic hero!" Fuu protested stubbornly, "He's seriously vulgar and gross. You'd hate him."

Fuu wasn't sure why she adamant about disgracing Mugen in her friend's eyes. Mugen was more than just a vagrant pirate—Fuu had seen there was core goodness to him underneath all of those scars and grit of life. She had seen the opposite in other men: culture and manners hiding rotten souls. Mugen was no heroic prince but in Fuu's mind they were overrated anyways. Anyone can be heroic if they had all the princely advantages in the world, but Mugen—Mugen only _seemed_ simple.

Perhaps it was the ironic hand of fate or the puzzling happenstance of chance, because at that moment heavy, clacking footsteps brought a tall, tanned and wild haired man through the teahouse entrance. Fuu heard him first—that heavy footstep she had long memorized—and then his brash irritated voice breaking the silence, asking if the teahouse was still serving food.

Fuu froze for a split second. Her heart beat excitedly as she jumped out of her seat and whipped around. There Mugen was, taking a seat at one of the table with a scowl on his face, looking literally unchanged since she last saw him. She couldn't believe it. A part of her didn't and swore up and down that she was hallucinating. When he spotted her, he looked momentarily surprised, then a sly smile slipped on his face and Fuu just knew he was thinking about mooching off her. She remembered that expression—the Mugen _I'm-gonna-steal-your-food-right-outta-yer-mouth_ expression. If Fuu hadn't been feeling so nostalgic and absolutely thrilled to see her old friend, she would have smacked him.

"Mugen!" she greeted happily, almost scrambling to his table. Her boss seemed surprised at her new acquaintance, and became leery when he saw the tattoo bands on man's arms and legs. Akemi looked suddenly excited.

"That's Mugen?" she asked, "Wow, he is much more handsome then you described!"

Fuu felt a jab of annoyance at Akemi's words, especially when she saw Mugen lap it up smugly.

"Who's your hot little friend, Fuu?" Mugen asked with a lewd, wolfish grin. He looked Akemi up and down; Fuu felt suddenly sick and panicked.

"Mugen!" she snapped at him, "You couldn't even say hello to me before you hit on my friends?!"

"Yo," Mugen offered to her uninterestedly, and then turned his attention to Akemi. "You work here too with flatchest?"

Akemi giggled. "No, I work at a shop down the road."

"Oh yeah, uh, sake and ramen," Mugen ordered, "Bring some dango for this babe right here."

Fuu didn't move. She stared daggers at him, and then felt a sharp pain of betrayal with Akemi happily sat down at Mugen's side. The man bent down and whispered something into her ears that made Akemi laugh and blush.

"Oi, waitress," Mugen barked at her, though with no real malice in his expression. There was a gleeful playfulness in his eyes, as if he was doing everything just to get a rise out Fuu. Unfortunately for both of them, Fuu didn't pick up on anything but anger and humiliation. "You wanna get my order?"

"I know you, Mugen," Fuu told him stubbornly, crossing her arms defiantly, "Not serving you until I know you have money."

Mugen smirked, reached into his pocket and pulled out a bag of coins with several ryos clanging inside it.

Fuu frowned. "So who did you steal from this time?"

"Watch your mouth, girly! I worked for that money fair and square."

"Fair and square? You?" Fuu muttered, picking at the coins, wondering if she would find body parts or splatters of blood on them.

"Now I've got money, bring me my food, woman," he ordered with a dismissive wave of his hand. His interest was back on Akemi. Fuu sighed in defeat. All daydreams of her tearful and poignant reunion shattered right before her. She hadn't expect the fuzzy feel good story book moment, but even with Mugen she didn't think that he'd be this much of a giant imbecile.

But it was Akemi who surprised her the most. She seemed to have completely forgotten Fuu and stuck by Mugen's side like she was some sort of leech. Akemi, who had been so kind and friendly to her, now didn't even acknowledge her existence.

At first Fuu fumed with rage. She stomped back to the kitchen and gave the order to the cook and refused to go back out to see her best friend and Mugen canoodling. It wasn't just being ignored that angered her; it was Mugen with another woman, again. Mugen with her friend, no less. How could Akemi do this to her? Not that she had any special claim on Mugen but…

Then the rage settled on self-doubt. Everyone around her seemed happy to forget her and leave her, and Akemi and Mugen wouldn't be the first or the last. Jin had not shown his face at all. She wondered if there was something repellant about her that made people wanted to get far away from and even forget her. Or was she just merely forgettable? A small, unexceptional flatchested mousy nothing?

"Fuu-chan, food is ready."

With a heavy sigh, Fuu took the ramen, dango and sake and set them at their table. Mugen glanced at her at the corner of his eyes, lingering just long enough on her tense expression and her downcast eyes.

"Ain't ya gonna join us?" he asked. Fuu looked at him sharply and glared at him.

"What? And be the weird third wheel?" she asked angrily, "No way."

"Ah, well, it ain't bad seein' you anyways," said Mugen, his tone softening just a bit, or perhaps it was just Fuu's imagination. "Glad you haven't end up dead in a ditch or trapped in a brothel, knowin' your luck."

"What would it matter to you anyways?"

"I didn't almost die to keep you alive so you could kill yourself doin' somethin' stupid, idiot," he told her petulantly, "Plus it'd be real annoyin' to have to bust your ass outta trouble again."

This earned a small smile from Fuu. Mugen smirked, as if claiming it a small victory.

"Fuu-chan," said Akemi, "You sure you don't want to join us? You've been talking about how much you want to see these two again, haven't you? You talked all year about how much you missed them."

"You missed me, huh?"

Fuu snorted and shook her head. "Pffft, no way. What world would I miss a perverted jerk like you?"

Mugen narrowed his eyes and sneered, "Well I didn't miss you one bit either, dumbass."

"Come eat with us Fuu-chan! You two must have so much to talk about!" Akemi offered, smiling innocently. Fuu almost felt bad for hating Akemi for a few seconds in the kitchen.

"Okay, just a while," she said, sitting across from them, "I still have to do work."

But it didn't turn out to be much of a reunion or conversation anyways. When the sake hit Mugen, his sole attention was on suggesting vulgar things to Akemi. Any other time Fuu would have angrily put a stop to Mugen's gross flirting, but something inside her just froze. She was hurt like she never thought she could be.

So awkwardly Fuu excused herself, cleaned their plates and tables and took Mugen's payments. Akemi suggested that she and Mugen find a nice private place to go afterwards. She winked at Fuu and left the restaurant after whispering something into Mugen's ear that made him giggle like a dork. Fuu pursed her lips angrily.

Mugen seemed more than excited to follow her. Fuu took her sweet time to process the bill and give him his change, which irritated a drunk and impatient Mugen. Fuu shoved the money back into his hands after skimming a few coins for herself.

_He owes me that much, idiot._

"So where are you meeting her?" she asked offhandedly.

"A private place near the river," he said with dreamy look of a drunkard. Fuu scoffed and turned away from him as he left.

Fuu felt each stab of hurt and jealousy with every one of his unsteady footprints travelling away from her. She didn't even have the strength to scream and screech at Mugen like she used to do.

Where did it go wrong? Was their separation that cold? Did it all not have any meaning for him? Was she just another stranger just passing through his life, not even warranting a proper hello?

The only answers to her question came with angry claims of his stupidity and idiocy and vulgarity and other words she couldn't remember. What did she expect from some low life ruffian like him?

"No way," she growled to herself, "He's not gonna insult me like that and do pervy stuff to my friend! Akemi doesn't know him like I do!"

She had to save Akemi from Mugen, she was sure of it.

So Fuu took off her apron and ran out of the teahouse, despite her boss's protest. She knew the location of their meeting place and she was going to give Mugen a piece of her mind even if it killed her. When Fuu arrived at the small picnic spot near the river, she was surprised to see the lone figure of the pirate looking around in drunken confusion. Akemi was nowhere to be found.

"Mugen?"

He turned and looked at her, grunting in disappointment when he saw it was merely Fuu. "Oh it's you. Where the hell is your friend? I have the right place, don't I?"

Fuu scowled at him. The nerve of him to ask her where their stupid meeting was supposed to be! Why she coulda smacked that stupid face of his! But Fuu wondered as well where Akemi was, as she should have been here already. After all, Akemi did take off first and she knew the area around here like the back of her hand. There was no way she'd get lost.

"Um…I dunno…" she muttered, becoming increasingly worried. What if someone snatched her way in the dark? Akemi was pretty and young and would probably fetch a good price at a brothel.

That was when Fuu saw the flash of metal in the moonlight out of the corner of her eyes. Out of pure instinct, she let out a yelp of warning. Mugen drew his sword and met the incoming blade of a naginata just in time to stop it from swiping his head off.

Both Fuu and Mugen stared at the assailant in shock. It was Akemi who held the other side of the naginata. Her usually cheerful expression was transformed into an intense look full of murderous intent.

"Akemi-chan?!"

"What the fuck are you doing, bitch?" Mugen roared angrily as he shoved the blade of the naginata away. He cartwheeled backwards and placed himself a few feet in front of Fuu, spreading himself out protectively in front of her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Akemi asked coolly, "I'm gonna kill you Mugen, then I'm gonna kill her."

Fuu felt her knees go weak. "B-but, why? Akemi-chan, what's going on?"

"Think, you dumb broad," Mugen growled at her, "She's from the Shogunate. They sent another assassin." Mugen smirked gleefully. "Must be running out of good warriors if they sent someone like you."

"But how could she be an assassin?" Fuu asked weakly, unable to accept the one person she connected to over the year was there to kill her. "You were with me for a whole year! You could have killed me any time!"

"True," Akemi conceded with a nod, "I was sent to finish you, Fuu-chan, but the person I really wanted to kill is him." She pointed the blade of the naginata at him. "I knew eventually I'd find him if I stuck with you long enough—and here you are. After I kill Mugen, I finish my mission to kill you."

"Why'd ya wanna kill me?" Mugen asked, scratching his chin, "Not that I'm innocent or nothin' but…"

"Because one year ago you killed my sister," Akemi replied coldly.

"Your sister?"

Fuu's eyes widened as the realization hit her. Sara! That's why Akemi looked so familiar; she looked like Sara!

"Who's your sister?" Mugen was still clueless.

"It's Sara, Mugen!" Fuu told him furiously. Mugen's entire countenance changed instantly. The air around him became heavier, and the darkness that just floated around him before now intensified with the memory of Sara.

His eyes hardened into a cold and ruthless glare.

"So you're her brat sister," he said darkly, "Guess I won't hafta hold back if you're anythin' like her."

"I didn't know she had a sister," Fuu said quietly, "She told me she had no one."

Akemi glowered at the both of them. "I'm not here to talk about Sara! I'm here to kill her murderer! Prepare to die, Mugen!"

Mugen's grin was mad and wild. "I'm prepared for that every second of my life you crazy bitch."

Akemi lunged at Mugen, and the two exchanged a few blows. Mugen expertly avoided the long reach of her naginata with the practiced ease of an acrobat. Fuu, despite herself, watched in awe. She had forgotten how impressive and even beautiful it was to watch him move.

Mugen flipped over and parried the blow with the metal of his geta, then pushed off the ground, slashing upwards. Akemi avoided it by an inch.

"Hey you ain't too bad," Mugen commented, "But not as good as your sister." Mugen dashed forward, kicking up sand into her face and then slashing at her. She blocked, though too weakly, and fell over from the force of his blow. Mugen kicked the weapon out of her hands and swung the sword down. Akemi rolled out of the way.

Fuu's heart leapt when she realized how close Mugen came to killing Akemi. She was hesitant; even if Akemi was trying to kill her, she had been her friend for so long and kept her company in her loneliest moments. She was also _Sara's_ sister. These weren't things Fuu could forget so quickly.

Mugen rushed at Akemi again, springing up into the air like an excited frog, and brought his blade down towards her. She evaded it again, but not before Mugen grabbed the sleeve of her kimono and pulled her to the ground, pinning her down with one foot. A bloodthirsty grin flashed across his face as he swung his sword down on her for a sure kill.

Fuu couldn't help but cry for him to stop but it was too late—then seemingly out of a nowhere, a gray-clad figure appeared out of the dark and blocked Mugen's sword. There was a loud clang as the blades met signaled the new arrival.

A middle aged samurai held the other end of the defensive katana. He was a tall man of imposing stature, and he loomed over Mugen's wiry build. His small eyes were dark and confident. Mugen withdrew instantly, jumping back to size up the samurai.

"Shunkuro-sama!" Akemi gasped.

The samurai Shunkuro straightened and sheathed his weapon without a glance in the girl's direction.

"Who the fuck are you?!" Mugen demanded.

"Vagrant Mugen?" the samurai asked. His voice was deep and authoritative.

"Who wants to know?"

"I am Mitsuharu Shunkuro."

"And? Am I s'posed to be impressed, baldy?"

If Mistuharu Shunkuro was offended he did not show it. He merely continued in that same monotone voice, "I am a Retainer of the Hotta Clan of the Shimosa Domain. I serve Hotta Masatoshi-dono, an advisor to the Shogun."

From the tone of his voice, the Samurai meant the declaration to strike awe and fear in Mugen and Fuu. While Fuu looked heartily impresses and scared, Mugen frowned and scratched his head.

"And?"

"Mugen!" Fuu hissed, "You're gonna get us killed!"

"You are vagrant Mugen who defeated Sara and Kariya, are you not?" the samurai asked.

"Kariya was four-eye's kill," Mugen said lazily, "And yeah…I killed Sara." His eyes flickered to Akemi, whose face was twisted with anger. "So, you here to kill us then?"

The samurai sighed. "As the daughter of a samurai involved in the Shimabara Rebellion, Kasumi Fuu has been sentenced to death. She is also allowed the honor of _jigaki_."

"The hell she ain't," Mugen growled.

"And you, vagrant, along with the ronin Jin, have been sentenced to death for reasons too many to list, including protecting Kasumi Fuu."

"Tch." Mugen spat. "Fuck you. Me an' four-eyes killed every one of your men. Don't think I can't take anythin' you bastards throw at me."

The samurai looked amused now. "Yes I know. You took out our top warriors. Even Kariya fell to your swords. Which is why we have repealed the sentences—for now."

"Sir?!" Akemi exclaimed in shock, "But—"

"That is enough from you Akemi," the samurai chastised sharply, "You have failed your mission of killing Kasumi Fuu because of your personal vengeance. The only reason I have not punished you is because Kasumi Fuu is worth more alive than dead."

Mugen frowned suspiciously. "Why's that?"

The samurai returned his attention to the swordsman. "Let me explain from the beginning. Since you and that ronin have taken out our top warriors, we lack the skill and power to complete an order from the Shogun himself. We need certain skills and great abilities for this particular mission, a mission that could decide that fate of this proud country. As such, I believe the two warriors who bested our top agents would be great assets to us."

It took a moment for Mugen to make sense of the Samurai formal speech, and even longer to really process what the grim retainer was trying to say. When he did, Mugen burst out laughing, agonizing both the samurai and Fuu.

"What's so funny?" Fuu asked.

"You yellow bastards have the guts to ask me—a branded criminal—" Mugen held out his two tattooed wrists. "—To work for you and your prissy lords? After you sent all those crazy fuckers to kill me?" He laughed some more, slapping his thigh to emphasize just how amusing he found the whole thing. "Fuck off, you assholes."

"Mugen!" Fuu chastised, fearfully.

"If you complete this mission," the samurai continued, "Your freedom will be given to you."

Mugen stopped laughing, but there was still a ludicrous grin still etched across his narrow face. "You can't give what you ain't got in the first place. You think the hit scares me? I lived my whole life this way. This ain't any different to me."

The samurai remained preternaturally calm in the face of Mugen's ridicule. "Your freedom," he repeated, "And…Kasumi Fuu's life as well."

Mugen became serious instantly. "Say what?"

"My life?" Fuu repeated, stunned.

"The sentence on her life will be lifted forever," the samurai continued, "As part of the deal. She will be given full immunity from the crimes of her father."

The samurai knew from Mugen's intensely still and serious expression that he had finally gotten the swordsman's attention. He smirked, knowing he caught the vagrant hook, line and sinker. And Kasumi Fuu's life was the bait. The man was unpredictable and wild, but in this respect he was as predictable as any man.

"So do you accept?"

Mugen snarled, "Now I gotta, don't I?"

"Mugen!" Fuu cried, "You can't trust them. Besides, I can take care of myself!"

"Shut it you dumbass!" Mugen barked at her, "You can't even walk straight without trippin' and hittin' your head!"

"That's not true you jerk!"

"You think you can fight off the Shogunate by yourself, dumb bitch?!"

"Shut up! I don't want you fighting for me anymore!"

"Well I can walk away right now and have that stupid idiot over there slice you in half!"

"Two days," the samurai's voice boomed over their squabbling, "Come to the Imakumo House in Nagaku, a three hour walk from here. Come or your lives will be forfeit."

Without further ado, the samurai turned and walked away. Akemi followed her master, casting one hateful glance at Mugen that promised more bloodshed when the time is right. At Fuu, however, she looked conflicted, but eventually turned away.

For a long while after the two Shogunate agents left, neither Fuu nor Mugen spoke. A bubble of tension grew between them, growing larger and heavier with every second that passed. Finally, Mugen let out a loud, guttural growl, flailing his arms about angrily, making Fuu jump.

"I'm back in your life for less than an hour an' I'm mixed up in all this shit again!" he shouted into the night, "What are you, cursed?! Didya piss off some stupid bad luck god or somethin'?"

Fuu bowed her head and bit her lips. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, okay!" she shouted at him, "Plus I didn't ask you to help like last time and I'm not going to anymore. If it's so much trouble then just leave! It's my problem, and it doesn't concern you!"

Mugen's face twisted grimly. "If it concerns you," he said, "It fucking concerns me, girly." He seemed suddenly horrified at the words that slipped out of his mouth, but Fuu was too angry to notice him or the significance of those words.

"Yeah right! Don't lie to me you asshole! You couldn't wait to get rid of me! And before, you forgot me the instant Akemi threw herself at you! Don't say stupid stuff like that when you don't mean it!"

"Th-that's not—" he spluttered lividly, "That wasn't—" But he admitted partial defeat with a heavy sigh. "Look, it ain't you. That girl Akemi, that stupid bitch, attackin' me like that and plyin' me with sake. I have a bone to pick with her."

Fuu frowned and shook her head. "You're impossible, Mugen."

Mugen smirked. "So what say you? We take up on that prissy ass samurai and work for the Shogun?"

"If you don't…" Fuu said quietly, "Then they'll kill me for sure this time."

Mugen closed his eyes and agreed silently.

"But I can't ask you to do that Mugen," she continued in a small quiet voice, "After everything you've done for me, I can't have you—"

"Didn't ya hear?" he interrupted brusquely, "It's my ass on the line too. It's not just for you, idiot."

"But you just said—"

"I know what I said. But now I think about it, it'd be way too annoying to have a bunch o' samurai shitheads coming after me all the time. Besides, any job I get to cut down more of'em arrogant pricks is right by me."

Mugen flashed her toothy grin, and it was enough to relax the girl and elicit a smile.

"But you don't even know what they want you to do," Fuu murmured, worriedly.

Mugen scratched his head and muttered, "Does it matter? The point is you—er—_we_ stop gettin' chased around all the time by them government types."

"You think they got to Jin, too?"

"Probably."

"I hope he's okay."

Mugen shrugged nonchalantly. "So, where are you stayin' for the night? I gotta get some shut-eye before I start savin' your ass again."

* * *

><p>I would really love some feedback on this! Really! It's been a while since I've written anything and anything will help me continue and improve my writing.<p> 


	2. Two

Thanks for the reviews everyone! Here is chapter two, a little late, but still here! Thanks for reading.

* * *

><p><strong>Two<strong>

In all the revelation, Fuu had forgotten that she was mad at Mugen for ignoring her in favor of hitting on her friend. In fact, her vision of Mugen was becoming rose-tinted and warm partly because of nostalgia and partly because he was once again putting himself in a dangerous position to help her out. And it would have stayed that way if Mugen hadn't foolishly mused out loud, "Too bad that Akemi turned out to be an assassin. She had nice tits."

All the gratitude drained from her in an instant. She suddenly whipped around and turned on Mugen, her expression vicious and nose flaring with rage, "You know what Mugen, if you want big boobs so much why don't you go find a prostitute to sleep with, jerk!"

"'Cause I'd have to pay," Mugen muttered, shrugging.

Fuu let out a high pitched growl, turned around and started to stomp away from a clueless looking Mugen.

"What did I do?" he asked, "Hey! I'm talkin' to you, girly!"

Fuu stopped, wheeled around dramatically and fixed him with an angry glare. "It's Fuu!" she shouted at him.

"What?"

"My _name_. Ka – Su – Mi _Fuu_. Not bitch. Not dumbass. Not girly."

Mugen was taken aback by her reaction, and for a few moments didn't know how to react. So he muttered, "Never bothered you before…"

Fuu made frustrated noise. "Now it does, because you haven't said my name once since I saw you. I wouldn't be shocked if you didn't even remember my name, jerk!"

Now Mugen couldn't fight the urge to smirk, so he allowed an amused little lift of the corners of his mouth. Was that it? She wanted him to say her _name_. He could say it all night long: Fuu Fuu Fuu the _clueless_ stupid little Fuu. "Alright alright," he said, "_Fuu_. So why—"

"Because after not seeing each other for a year, the first thing you do is hit on my friend!"

"Your friend who happened to be your personal assassin," Mugen added, as a matter of fact, "You should be _thanking_ me."

"That is not the point!" Fuu shot back at him.

"Then what is the point?"

"I don't even know anymore!" Fuu replied, throwing her hands up and stomping away again. It amused Mugen to no end when she got all worked up, becoming stupidly and fearlessly bossy and demanding. She puffed up like a tiny screeching bird.

"So, _Fuu_, do you want me to go and myself a nice, big titted prostitute? Hm?"

Fuu froze, frowning angrily, fists quaking with contained rage.

"But hey, I ain't complainin'—"

"FINE," she shouted resignedly, "But if you say one more word about boobs, I'm gonna roll you up in a straw mat and dump you in the street."

Mugen cackled to himself victoriously, folded his arms behind head and followed her home.

Fuu had rented out a little room from a blind obaasan, who fortunately was gone overnight to visit her son the next town over. She cringed at the thought of bringing Mugen home when her land lady was around. They would have been kicked out into the street the moment Mugen opened his stupid mouth.

Her room was cramped and littered with little baubles and paraphernalia. The first thing Mugen noticed was the warmth and colors: bright, haphazard and relentlessly cheerful—just like its owner. It smelled of lemongrass, sandalwood and a trace of some sweet flowery scent. In one corner he spotted a small wooden box with a small mirror perched on it. Everything about the room happily shouted 'this is Fuu's home!', and Mugen felt something between satisfaction and jealousy stir in him.

Fuu had gone off to find a futon for him, and came up with her arms full of old, lumpy bedding and off-color sheets. She set them down on the opposite side of the room, farthest away from her own futon. Suddenly, she let out a tired sigh and turned to look at him with brows furrowed with concern.

"Mugen?"

"Hm?"

"We don't have to leave right away, do we?"

He glanced at her. "We should leave tomorrow. Get this over with," he told her, "Before those bastards change their minds. What, you got more important stuff to do?"

Fuu shook her head. "No, but do you think we'll be gone long?"

"How the fuck should I know, girly!" he muttered impatiently, "You got a boyfriend or something?"

"N-no!"

"Then what's the big deal?"

"N-nothing, it's just..." She looked down at her hand, "I'd have to tell my boss at the teahouse though, and leave a letter for my landlady. But I can do that all in the morning."

"Then shuddup and finish with the futon already."

Fuu rolled her eyes and quickly laid out the futon for him. She made a face as Mugen threw himself onto the dirty futon.

Fuu had forgotten how rowdy he could be, even when he was getting to bed. He pillowed into the softness of the sheets with wide, goofy grin on his face, his long limbs stretching out all angles. It astounded her that he was able to shake off the events of that night, but she supposed that was what made Mugen _Mugen_, though the sake probably helped. Fuu was still trembling from the encounter with the Shogunate people. Not only did her best friend turn out to be her assassin, but now the most powerful people in Japan wanted her dead. Boy, how useless was she? Maybe she did piss off a bad luck god somewhere.

Fuu quietly walked over to Mugen's slumbering form and frowned down at him. "What idiot," she murmured. She was surprised at how fast he agreed to work the mission for the Government. If there was only one thing tried and true about Mugen was that he hated authority, and the Shogun was the greatest offender in his book. Fuu didn't dare to think that he had done it for her. He didn't even greet her properly in that teahouse—there was no way he was going through the trouble of actually working for the types of people he hated for her. Killing them? Yes, because he seemed to enjoy it anyways. But serving them was a different question.

Sometimes she wondered how she even managed to even keep him and Jin by her side while searching for the sunflower scented samurai, not that they didn't attempt to (and succeed in) abandoning her. Somehow they always ended up together again, and even the ever nihilistic Mugen had accepted it as his fate. But really, they hadn't needed to stick by her at all. She was small and useless and if they really wanted to leave, they would have and she could do nothing to stop them. At least that's what she told herself.

And here _he_ was again, with no real need to stay or fight. He could have told the samurai to screw himself and walked away. He could have easily neutralized any threat they sent his way, lose them on the Okinawa Sea until the Shogunate forgot, without once looking her way. But he was here, sleeping in her tiny room on a dirty futon with his belly full of sake and dango. That had to account for something, didn't it?

She smiled softly, appreciatively. "Thanks, Mugen," she whispered. Telling him any other time would have undoubtedly led to a squabble, and she just wanted her words to settle around him in peace for once.

He turned and muttered something about 'big tits', and Fuu had to restrain herself from smacking him. Here she was thinking about life and death and thanking the idiot and he was dreaming about boobs.

With a huff, she returned to her own futon, snuggled beneath the covers and blew out the candle.

* * *

><p>Mugen woke up the next morning to the sight of Fuu gathering her belongings into one corner of her room. There wasn't much, just knick knacks and little trifles, nothing valuable, but she handled them like they were made of porcelain. He watched her, silently, as she gazed at a little hair ornament with sad look in her eyes, and then put it down gently before doing the same to a small, battered book. Then she sighed and ran her hands through her hair, which was not in its usual messy brown bun, and instead flowed freely down her back, much longer than he remembered.<p>

"Guess this is goodbye," she whispered gloomily, looking at her belongings, "It was nice having a real home for a while. Guess it's just not my luck." She gathered her hair and twisted it up in the usual style, and pinned it with her two hair long hair pins, the same one she used on their previous journey.

Mugen shifted and made groaning noise to let her know he was awake. She looked over him briefly before getting up and leaving the room.

Mugen sat up and looked at the pile of her belongings. Useless things, but she had looked so sad over losing them and it irked him for reasons he didn't know. It was almost as if he was resentful, even a little envious, of Fuu and her stupid junk.

* * *

><p>"I'm so sorry!" Fuu apologized to her boss for the tenth time, bowing down deeply in front of the old man, "But this is really really urgent! I have to go! I'm sorry."<p>

It was early next morning before the teahouse was open for customers. It had been Fuu's day off, which made it easier for Fuu to leave so suddenly so she wouldn't be burdened with the guilt of leaving her boss, in a pinch.

Her boss, Gukuro sighed heavily, looking between her and Mugen with a disappointed look.

"Fuu-chan," he grunted, "Thought you had better sense than to run off with someone like him. They don't make reliable husbands."

Blushing furiously, Fuu spluttered, "Y-you think…he and I? No no no no I'm not eloping with this idiot! He's just a bodyguard to get me where I need to go."

Gukuro, if he had been more inclined, would have said her jealous huffing the prior night spoke a different story, but he didn't because he wasn't going to encourage it. He looked at Mugen, who seemed wholly disinterested in the conversation, but the old teahouse owner knew that the man was listening to every word. He had seen his brows twitch when she called him "just a bodyguard". His dark eyes took quick looks at Fuu that was more than just a passing glance of indifference.

Mugen was a rogue in every sense of the word, a rogue with a good face and an aura of danger and intensity that so thrilled teenage girls—until he showed his true colors as a criminal those tattoos so blatantly claimed that he was. Gukuro couldn't believe someone like Fuu was in any way an acquaintance of a man like Mugen.

"Fuu-chan," he grunted, "Naru wants to make you a bento for your journey. She also has your pay. Why don't you go get it from her?"

"Ah, really?" Fuu exclaimed happily, "Thank you so much! I'll go get it now. Mugen, wait a bit!"

"Oi, make sure to get extra dango, the good kinds! And unagi!" he shouted after her. Fuu made some irritated noise as she went into the kitchen, leaving Gukuro and Mugen alone with each other in the empty teahouse.

"So, how long did you plan this?" Gukuro asked Mugen, fixing him with a suspicious glare.

Mugen frowned. "Plan what?"

"This. Plan to lure Fuu away with you?"

"Lure?" Mugen scowled. "What are you goin' on about? You going senile? I ain't tryin' to lure that brat anywhere."

"I'm no fool!" Gukuro barked at him, "I've seen you around here. Several times. Always looking in at Fuu-chan but never approaching her. Loitering about, leering at the girls."

Mugen scoffed and turned away from the old man. "You're outta your mind. I never…tch, I don't need to explain myself to you."

"Fuu's a good girl," Gukuro continued, "She shouldn't be messing with your type. You do anything to her and kami-sama will strike you down to hell."

Mugen smirked; it was cruel, self-effacing and humorless. "I already have a special place in hell reserved for me, old man, so it won't make much of a difference."

Gukuro became alarmed, "Now listen here you—"

"I ain't gonna hurt her, if that's what you mean," he told the old man, irritably. There was a touch of forlornness to his tone that made his words seem all the more sincere to Gukuro. "Never touched a hair on her before and that ain't gonna change, so save the heart attack, old man."

Fuu came out of the kitchen with two bento boxes wrapped in cloth. She beamed cheerfully at the two men. "Naru-san gave me so much food!"

"Yeah?" said Mugen, "They must be familiar with your bottomless stomach. Or maybe they know your true form Miss Piggy."

"You're one to talk," Fuu muttered, pouting.

"Oi, I wasn't the one who out-ate half of Edo."

"I was doing it for all of us!" she protested hotly, "And I would have won too if it weren't for that stupid bug!"

"But you didn't."

"It wasn't my fault. It's not like you lasted either."

"'Cause I'm human, pig-girl!"

"Aiya, both of you get out of my hair," Gukuro groaned, waving them off, "Fuu-chan, travel safely." He sent a glare in Mugen's direction. "Don't be afraid to make use of your tanto."

"Thanks so much Gukuro-san!" she said, bowing deeply once again.

As Gukuro watched Fuu leave with the vagrant, he muttered a little prayer, "Kami-sama, please watch over Fuu-chan. Protect her from the likes of him. Actually, protect her from him."

* * *

><p>"What do you think the Shogun wants you to do?" Fuu asked, once they were on the road. It had been so long since she had travelled. It felt odd yet familiar, like coming home after being gone for so long that home seemed like vaguely remembered dream. Nostalgia—that's what it was, nostalgia. She just wished it hadn't been tainted with death threats from really scary people.<p>

"Kill people," Mugen muttered lazily, "Why else would they want me?"

Fuu shrugged. "I hope it's bad people. I don't want you to kill good people."

Mugen made a soft, derisive snorting noise.

"What?" Fuu demanded.

"So if they want me to kill 'good people', whatever that means, you'd be willing to die instead?"

"Well, maybe," Fuu muttered, without hesitation. Mugen frowned at her. "I mean, if I can save a whole bunch of people by dying, maybe."

"That's stupid."

"No it's not! It's a noble sacrifice, a hero's sacrifice."

"It's stupid 'cause do you really think they wouldn't kill them regardless?" he snapped at her, "You ain't in a fairy tale. Also, heroes don't die, the suckers do. They never write stories about the suckers."

Fuu pursed her lips and turned her face away from him.

"Better to stay alive than die for useless causes. There ain't nothin' romantic 'bout dying. There ain't nothin' romantic 'bout anythin'."

"Better than leading a selfish, pathetic life."

"I'm happy with my selfish, pathetic life, thanks," Mugen snarled, narrowing his eyes at her.

Fuu inhaled deeply and glared at her companion. Sometimes she wondered why she missed the asshole at all. For the next half hour they walked in irritated silence. Fuu walked just a few paces behind him, wishing she could say more to him without having it descend into another stupid argument.

Another half hour into their journey, Mugen and Fuu came upon a group of bandits ganging up on a young woman, threatening her with swords. It was the usual, even clichéd scene: a pretty woman was crying and cornered by ugly, perverted bandits, who demanded that she dump all of her possessions for them. Mugen could have yawned. Fuu reacted first; the idiot ran towards the scene, shouting, "Hey, let her go you low lives!"

Mugen released an impatient huff as he lazily drew his sword, rolling his eyes at Fuu's attempt at heroics. He grabbed her by the collar of her kimono and easily lifted her up and threw her behind him as one of the bandits darted forward. Mugen made one large slash with his sword and killed the man.

The others shouted and yelled angry threats and insults, like usual, and charged at Mugen, who dispatched them with one anti-climatic slash each. He didn't even break a sweat. "Annoying," he muttered, and sheathed his blade.

Fuu rushed over the bodies to comfort the woman while Mugen squatted down and checked the bandits for money and anything else he could forage.

"Are you okay?" Fuu asked the woman, "Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?"

Mugen looked up at them. The woman was pretty, very pretty, with dark almond eyes and black hair. Her pale oblong face had just the right amount of roundness, just like one of those women in paintings. Her features were dainty and elegant, like those of a high born woman, but she was dressed in a very simple purple cotton kimono.

"I'm fine," the woman answering, wiping tears out of her eyes, "You saved me. How could I ever thank you?"

"You could pay us," Mugen suggested.

"Mugen!" Fuu chastised.

"Just sayin'."

"I'd love to," she said with a sad frown, "But I am a poor woman with nothing to her name."

"Th-That's-that's okay!" Fuu spluttered, "Don't listen to him! We're just glad you're okay!"

"Hah!" Mugen exclaimed suddenly. Fuu and the woman looked at him; Mugen was victoriously holding out a jangling pouch of coins. "One of'em was loaded!"

Fuu frowned, shook her head and turned back to the woman. "I'm Fuu, by the way. That moron over there is Mugen."

"Aya," the woman supplied, with a kind smile.

"Where were you headed, Aya-san?" Fuu asked.

"I'm going to Nagaku. I have a job waiting for me there as a maid at the Imakumo House."

Mugen glanced suspiciously at her as he pocketed the money, and was about to speak but was cut off when Fuu made a happy squeaking noise.

"Hey, that's where we're headed!" Fuu exclaimed happily, "We're going to the Imakumo House too! You should come with us!"

"If it's not too much trouble," said Aya shyly, "I would be happy to."

"No trouble at all!"

"Speak for yourself," Mugen muttered, earning a glare from Fuu.

"Are you to be employed there as well?" Aya asked, looking between the two of them.

Fuu smiled sheepishly and answered, "In a way. Sorta."

Mugen rolled his eyes. "We should get going," he grunted, "Before more idiots turn up."

"Shouldn't we do something about the bodies?" asked Aya, "It'd be disrespectful to travelers and the gods to leave them in the road to rot."

"Who cares?" Mugen groaned.

"She's right, Mugen!" Fuu scolded him, "Let's at least move them out of the way."

"Fine fine."

Mugen and Fuu pulled the bodies out of the road and covered them with large branches before they set off again towards Nagaku. Mugen walked slightly behind Fuu and Aya, eying the woman with a suspicious frown. Normally he would be all up in a pretty lady's business, but he had grown in the last few years to know better than to trust beautiful women who just happened to be travelling to the exact same place as they were. Unfortunately, it didn't look like Fuu learned a single thing from her experiences. She was happily chatting with Aya as if they had been friends forever.

An hour from Nagaku, the three of them stopped to have lunch. They sat down in a clearing off the side of the road, and Fuu opened both bento boxes for the meal. Aya had her own bento box as well, though hers was more Spartan compared to Fuu's. She and Mugen, unfortunately, ended up eating half of Aya's food as well as their own.

"You both have such healthy appetites!" Aya commented, smiling.

"Sorry, Aya-san," Fuu apologized with a sheepish smile.

"It's no trouble at all! It's the least I can do after you saved my life." Aya put away all the bento boxes while Mugen watched her. He wasn't sure what he was looking for—he wasn't even sure that Aya was a suspicious person, but he wasn't going to take any chances. Not after Sara and Akemi. _It was_ _too_ _bad_, he thought, _what a hot chick. Like Akemi. _Why did all the good looking broads want to kill him or steal his money?

Aya excused herself for some personal business, leaving Fuu and Mugen alone.

"Yo," Mugen muttered to Fuu, "Watch yourself around her."

Fuu blinked. "Why?"

Mugen scowled. "Idiot! After Sara and Akemi, you still haven't learned. A random woman just happens to be going to the exact same place as the people who wants your head?"

"You're being too distrustful, Mugen!"

"And you're being a moron. This is why you get into trouble all the time!"

Fuu pouted, her cheeks puffing out defiantly, and turned away.

"Oi, don't turn away from me, puffer fish," Mugen scolded, "Jus' watch yourself."

"Fine fine…"

When Aya returned, the three of them set off again on the road to Nagaku. Mugen kept himself behind the two girls, his eyes set vigilantly on the both of them.

They arrived at the Imakumo compound in Nagaku shortly after their lunch when the sun was still high in the sky. It was a terribly large imposing building built out of dark teak in the new style. An immaculate garden welcomed the three travelers as they entered through the gates.

A samurai guard greeted them stiffly and called for the head maid, who spirited Aya away towards the back of the house. The samurai beckoned Fuu and Mugen into the building. They were taken to a sparse six tatami-mat room, where the samurai Shunkuro sat beside an aged, important looking man in crisp dark robes with pointy shoulders. _A _really_ important person_, Fuu thought with some anxiousness.

"Wise of you to come," Shunkuro said in that deep voice of his.

Mugen slumped on the floor, and Fuu tried to act as respectful as possible to make up for his slovenly behavior.

"This is Hotta-dono," Shunkuro introduced the old man, "Advisor to the Shogun."

"So who'd'ya want me to kill?" Mugen asked lazily. Fuu cringed at his tone, which, if she wasn't mistaken, sounded extra vulgar on purpose. She didn't put it past Mugen to be extra rude to a lord for the hell of it.

"Gets straight to the point, this one," the lord Hotta said, casting critical eye on him, "A vagrant, by the looks of him."

Mugen scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"And the other one is Kasumi's daughter?"

"Yes, Hotta-dono," Shunkuro replied.

Hotta looked almost sympathetic towards Fuu, but it just could have been the way his thick eyebrows were shaped. "It's a pity your father turned out to be a traitor," said Hotta. Fuu bowed her head, as if to apologize for whatever her father had done. "But laws are laws. However, you are fortunate to be given a chance to bring honor to your name once again."

"Yes, Hotta-dono," Fuu answered in a small voice.

"What of your mother?"

"She died," Fuu replied, "Over two years ago."

"You're an orphan."

"Yes sir."

"_Lord_," Shunkuro corrected her sharply, "Yes, _my lord_."

"Er, yes, my lord."

"Perhaps your luck is changing,"

"For the better, I hope," Fuu muttered in that small, frightened voice.

"You are of Samurai blood," Shunkuro added, "You should be proud of your origins."

Fuu frowned. She wanted to laugh. Proud? Because her deadbeat traitor father happened to be samurai? What did being a samurai's daughter get her anyways? A price on her head and a friend who turned out to be her assassin? She'd rather be a vagrant.

But Fuu only bit her lips and lowered her eyes.

"This is getting boring," Mugen whined, "Tell me what I have to do and let's get this over with."

"Be patient," Shunkuro barked at him, "The Enemy you are fighting is powerful and well protected. It will take planning and teamwork."

Fuu glanced at Mugen, suddenly worried. Planning and Mugen? Teamwork? This was going to be a disaster. Mugen, however, was taking this better than Fuu expected, although she had set the bar pretty low for Mugen when it came to proper behavior. She supposed she was surprised he hadn't openly insulted the lord and threatened to kill everyone. Yet.

"That scary, huh?" Mugen said, suddenly interested, "Now I gotta see what kind of badasses can make a lord and his prissy samurais go running to criminals for help like cowards."

Fuu stared at Mugen in disbelief, her mouth slightly ajar. She spoke too soon and gave him too much credit. Did the idiot _want_ to die?

Shunkuro rose from his place, hissing, "Such insolent tongue—"

"Leave it, Shunkuro," Hotta commanded sharply. The samurai shut up right away but stared daggers at Mugen. Hotta, much to Fuu's relief, looked more amused by Mugen's antics than offended.

"The Enemy that we speak of, young man," Hotta continued, "Threatens the peace of this country with soldiers of frightening strength and immorality. He commands the unholy to slake his lust for power."

"You've got flair for the melodramatic, doncha?" Mugen asked, looking unimpressed.

"I only wish I was being melodramatic," the lord replied with heavy sigh, "But come now, this will be discussed when the time comes."

"When's that?"

"More warriors are on their way here as we speak," Shunkuro said, "We will discuss this when everyone has arrived."

"Tch." Mugen scratched his chin. "Then at least feed us."

"The Imakumo family will take care of you," Shunkuro told him stonily.

Hotta's gaze fell on Fuu. She flinched, as if she could feel his physically feel the weight of his eyes on her. "And the girl, Fuu, is it?" he asked.

"Er, yes, Hotta-dono."

"You will help the women of the house in performing household tasks," he continued, "The lady of the house, Chiyo-san, will tell you what to do. Be warned: if you try to run, there will be no mercy. Do you understand?"

"Uhm, y-yes, my lord."

"Good. You are both dismissed."


End file.
